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Friday, August 01, 2008

Vote again, or else

Under the headline “24 to 1”, French journalist Jean Quatremer writes on his Coulisses de Bruxelles blog:

"The recent poll showing that 71% of Irish people are opposed to a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty has not had much impact in European capitals, since the wording of the question indicated that the vote would be on the same text. There is no question of that: either the Irish will be asked to adopt the Lisbon Treaty with ad hoc declarations responding to their concerns (like in 2002 for Nice), or they will be asked if they want to continue to be part of a Union that is governed by the Lisbon Treaty… This second possibility would clarify things: either you stay or you go, but you do not block
Europe as a whole.”

So unless the Irish are willing to vote again on the Lisbon Treaty in its entirety, with a couple of non-legally binding words of appeasement tacked on, then they will have to vote on whether they stay in the EU or leave altogether.

Talk about having a gun to your head...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The arrogance of Jean Quatramer and others like him beggars belief. The Treaty was ratified by the UK Govenment without a referendum because they knew that the UK population would have voted no. Almost certainly some other member states would have had the same experience. Therefore this is being pushed through with a huge deficit of democratic support. It does not bode well for the future and fails to recognise that forcing issues like this against national will can have nothing but negative consequences for European unity in the longer term. I and many others who spend time in Europe discussing legislative issues are already in despair at the lack of competence, credibility and accountability within the Commission. Other European colleagues share the same view but feel increasingly unable to influence or change anything. Keep pushing the Irish like this and they will respond in a way that leaves noone in any doubt that there is widespread despair at the incompetence and arrogance of our Politicians at both National and European level. Contemptible and probably corrupt.

Anonymous said...

I am foremost an Englishman, not a European. I have nothing but contempt, disdain, disgust and disillusionment with the european comission...unelected nobodies preaching gibberish...long may they...politeness and chivalry prevents me from further comment. I will never accept the euro concept, no law can make me, Albion will always be my home. WEll played Eire, shame you have been portrayed as lacking the intelligence to make an informed opinion...perhaps each and every one of you could persue litigatiion against those who demean your vote.

richardcalhoun said...

It cannot be long now, surely, before there is a huge reaction by the people against the EU bureaucrats and the unbelievably arrogant and anti democratic attitudes they take.